Drama of life, love, and the like
by PrincessLorele
Summary: It's almost time for the Garden Festival again! Zell and Selphie have big plans, but of course bad things always happen to good people. (Zelphie!) Please read and review! - Chapter 5 finally up! -
1. Violent beginnings

This is my first attempt at writing a fanfic…ever…so please review!!  
  
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A few months had passed since the sorceress incident and things had gotten pretty boring at Balamb Garden. Not much to do, but sit back and relax, and that's exactly what Zell decided to do. He was perfectly content considering he hadn't taken a break in such a long time. He had calmed down somewhat, but was still his energetic self. He watched as his friends clicked into pairs, not once thinking twice about himself.  
  
Squall and Rinoa had been talking about marriage a lot lately. Seifer and Quistis seemed to be getting pretty serious, too. Except for all their fights, of course. Selphie was back with Irvine, for the third time this month. He didn't understand why she kept getting back together with him. After all, he constantly neglected her company and obviously didn't notice how little attention he paid her.  
  
He was so wrapped up in his thoughts, that he didn't even hear Selphie calling him from down the hall.  
  
"Zell! Wait up!!" she yelled. This time, he heard her and turned around. His usual smile covered his face as he gave her a friendly wave.  
  
"What's up, Selphie?" he wondered what was so important. She bent down and panted a bit, desperately trying to catch her breath.  
  
"I wanted to talk to you about this year's Garden Festival! We've raised a lot of money, so we can do a lot more than last year! Isn't it exciting?!" she said, beaming from ear to ear. He couldn't help but smile at her cheeriness. "I needed to ask your opinion. We've already decided to do another concert this year, but hire real musicians this time, but I think we should do something else. What do you think?" her head cocked to the side and her forehead lifted itself into a look of sheer interest.  
  
Zell thought a moment, and then smirked. "You should have someone write a play and you could have Garden students perform it. I think it'd be a big hit!" Zell chuckled because Selphie's face lit up instantaneously.  
  
"What a great idea, Zell!!" she squealed, throwing her arms around him. "Thank you soooooooo much!! I'm going to start working on this right now! Oh, I wonder what the play will be about? I can't wait! I'll see you later, Zell!" She ran off in the direction of the Quad.  
  
Zell continued on his way to the training center. He was glad to help Selphie because she had always brightened his day. Then again, her sunny smiles could brighten anyone's day. He smirked again as he wondered who she would cast in the play. 'Maybe Squall!' He laughed. He decided to push those thoughts into the back of his mind for now. The boredom had gotten to him, and he just had to fight something, and T-Rexaur was just the thing he needed to get rid of that feeling.  
  
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Selphie ran all the way to the Quad. She was so excited that she could barely contain her emotions when she told everyone the play idea. The Garden Festival committee members were almost as excited as she was, but then again, she was Selphie. No one has, or at least shouldn't have, as much emotion as she does.  
  
"So you guys like it, too?" She smiled. "Yay! I'm so happy! We can really get to work on the Festival now, and I'm sure it'll be better than last year." She thought about last year. How horrible the "band" was. It was a lot of fun though. All the pretty lights, and being with her friends. She giggled. 'Squall didn't seem to like it as much as we did.'  
  
"Hey, Selphie? Who's going to write the script?" asked one of her committee friends. She thought about it. 'Who would be good at writing a script? Squall? Not enough emotion. Rinoa? Maybe, but I don't think it would be serious enough. Quistis? Too serious. Seifer? Nah, I don't think he would do it anyways. Me? No way…I couldn't write a script. Irvy? It would be a huge cast of scantily clad women and he would be the star. I don't think so. Zell? Hmm…maybe he'd be willing to do it. I think he would be perfect!'  
  
"Zell Dincht," she announced, "if I can get him to do it, that is." The others nodded that it was a good choice. She smiled and decided to go find him right away.  
  
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Zell had defeated 15 Grats, and 2 T-Rexaurs when he decided he had had enough for one day. 'Where should I go now? I think I'll go to the secret place. No one goes there during the daytime.' he thought to himself. He walked around to the back of the Training Center. "Yep, just as I thought, completely empty." he smiled to himself and started his usual habit of shadow boxing.  
  
Meanwhile, Selphie ran down the main hallway looking for him. Finally, someone that said that they saw him a little while ago in the Training Center. She went inside. She was really hoping not to get into any battles because she stopped junctioning any GF's after the sorceress issue was resolved.  
  
"Uh-oh," she whispered to herself as she crept inside, "a sleeping T-Rexaur. Maybe if I'm quiet enough it won't wa…" The T-Rexaur let out a ferocious roar as it woke up and Selphie jumped and started screaming. Not the brightest thing to do, because it only drew the T-Rexaur's attention to her. Not knowing what else to do at the moment, she turned around and ran…right into a tree. She was dizzy for a second, but when her head stopped spinning, she noticed the beast coming straight towards her. She screamed as loud as she could, and tried to move out of the way, but she was too slow. The T-Rexaur knocked over a branch and it fell on her leg. She was conveniently trapped and helpless.  
  
Zell, upon hearing the roar and the screams, decided to go see what was going on. At first, he didn't see anyone. Then he noticed a familiar yellow jumper.  
  
"Selphie?!" he yelled to her. A moan was all the response he got back. He cast sleep on the monster, and switched between trying to help Selphie, keep the T-Rexaur asleep, and trying to finish it off. Finally, he managed to kill the T-Rexaur and move the tree branch off of the injured girl.  
  
"Selphie, are you alright??" he looked so concerned. Well, who wouldn't be concerned about such an innocent girl?  
  
"Th…thank…y..you…Z..e..l..l…" she said, barely above a whisper. She couldn't stay conscious any longer, and passed out. Zell picked her up, being careful not to further injure her leg, and carried her to the infirmary.  
  
"Hello, Zell. What happened to Selphie?" Dr. Kadowaki asked him with a puzzled look.  
  
"I'm guessing she was looking for me in the Training Center. She ran into a T-Rexaur completely unequipped. She was stuck under a tree branch, but luckily I was in the secret area and wondered what the screams and roars were. So, I beat up that monster AND moved the branch!" he seemed excited about his defeat, but the look in his eyes showed that he really was worried about her.  
  
Dr. Kadowaki examined her. "She'll be alright. I think I'll keep her here overnight. You should come back to see her in a few hours, I'm sure she'll be awake by then. If she was looking for you, it must've been important." Zell looked relieved.  
  
"Thank you! I'll do just that!" he said as he smiled and left the infirmary.  
  
He started thinking and let out a big yawn. 'Wow, guess I didn't notice how tired I really was. Think I'll go to sleep for a while.' He went towards the dorms, yawning the whole way.  
  
He opened the door to his dorm and went into his cluttered room, shut the door behind him, and just collapsed on his bed. He quickly fell into a deep sleep.  
  
Fighting can really take a lot out of you.  
  
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It's really short, I know…but I had to set it up. Please review!! It'll get better, I promise!! 


	2. As the plot unfolds

Thanks to all the people that read and reviewed chapter 1! I didn't think anyone would like it, but everyone seemed to like it! If I keep getting the same response, I'll try to update more often! Yay! Chapter 2!  
  
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Zell was having a lovely dream about eating hotdogs, but he kept being interrupted by birds. 'Stupid, annoying birds.' he thought. '…wait a minute! BIRDS?!' He woke up suddenly and looked at his clock. 8:34 a.m.  
  
"Oh man! I completely forgot about going to check on Selphie!" He got up and changed into his usual clothes, which he had like 30 pairs of. He HATED doing the laundry, so he figured by having enough outfits to last almost a month, he could refrain from doing the horrid laundry. He rushed into his bathroom and fixed his hair, which generally meant plastering it with gel and combing straight up. He splashed some water on his face, to make sure he was completely awake, and left his room on his way back to the infirmary.  
  
Dr. Kadowaki was filling out some paperwork when Zell got there. She casually looked up at him and smiled. He looked so worried she couldn't help but laugh.  
  
"Selphie's doing alright, Zell." she chuckled a little. His facial expression went from concerned to relieved in a split-second. "She regained her consciousness last night and wondered where she was. I told her, then, she asked where you were. I told her you left, but that you would come back. She's been sleeping since then."  
  
"I'm awake now…" Selphie said from the other room. Dr. Kadowaki nodded to Zell and he went in to her. She was lying on the bed with bandages wrapped all around her leg. She had a damp washcloth on her forehead and was pretty pale.  
  
"How are you feeling, Selphie?" Zell asked as he pressed the back of his hand to her soft cheek.  
  
"I'm a lot better now, Zell. You came back to see me!" She smiled at him and giggled a little bit.  
  
"I had to come back, Selphie. I was worried about you. What were you doing in the Training Center, unequipped, anyways?"  
  
She thought a moment, then responded, "Hmm…OH! I wanted to ask you if you would be willing to write the script for our play." She put on her puppy-dog face and blinked a few times at him.  
  
"I don't know, Selph. You sure you want ME to do it?" he asked, looking unsure.  
  
"Of course! Everyone knows that your writing is wonderful!! Would you PLEASE, Zell?" She pouted once again. Zell sighed and nodded.  
  
"Alright, I'll do it, but you owe me." She smiled and giggled a little bit.  
  
"THANK YOU, ZELL!!" He smiled.  
  
Dr. Kadowaki came into the room with her clipboard. "Selphie should be able to walk by tomorrow morning. Her leg is mainly bruised, and partially sprained. Nothing serious."  
  
"What about her passing out? Isn't that something you should be concerned about?"  
  
"Nah, she only passed out because she was scared. She probably thought she wasn't going to make it away from that T-Rexaur." Selphie laid there watching them. She decided it was a good time to make herself known.  
  
"AHEM! I'm right here, you know! You make it sound like I'm still unconscious. GEEZ!" Dr. Kadowaki chuckled.  
  
"I'm sorry dear." she said, "Well, I have work to do." She patted Selphie on the head and walked back out to her desk.  
  
Zell's stomach growled. 'Oh, yeah. I forgot. I haven't eaten yet today.' He looked at Selphie. "Sorry Selph, I gotta go eat something. I'm starving. I'll be back to see you later!" He kissed her forehead and smiled as he walked out. She just laid there smiling. 'The Garden Festival is under way! YAY!' She quickly got bored and decided to go back to sleep.  
  
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Zell made his way to the cafeteria. He went over and sat down with Irvine, Quistis, Squall, and Rinoa.  
  
"Morning Zell," said the smiling Rinoa, "you're up early." She continued eating the piece of toast that sat in front of her.  
  
"Man," said Zell, "I wish they had hotdogs for breakfast." They all laughed, but he really was serious. He picked up a piece of toast and started nibbling on it. Quistis looked around the room, then turned to Irvine.  
  
"Where's Selphie, Irvine?" He thought about it a moment, then shrugged.  
  
"Don't know. Haven't seen her since yesterday afternoon." He then continued eating his breakfast.  
  
"Come to think of it, I haven't seen her around either." said Rinoa.  
  
"She's in the infirmary." said Zell. The shocked/confused looks he got made him explain. He told them what happened in the Training Center and how she's alright.  
  
"So why was she looking for you, Zell?" Quistis questioned.  
  
"She wants me to write the script for the play she's doing for the Garden Festival." Zell smiled his classic smile.  
  
"Ooh, what's it going to be about?" asked an excited Rinoa.  
  
"Well," said Zell, as he scratched the back of his head, "I don't really know yet."  
  
"It should be a love story!" suggested Rinoa.  
  
"I agree with Rinoa. But it'd have to have lots of women in it. With ME as the lead." said Irvine, grinning.  
  
"Um, Irvine? I highly doubt Selphie would like that. Especially because 1. She's your girlfriend, and 2. She's in charge of the Garden Festival, and we all know it means a lot to her." stated Quistis in her matter-of-fact tone of voice.  
  
"She'd be fine with it. She knows I only have eyes for her." he said, but he was clearly looking at a girl across the room. Everyone rolled their eyes at him.  
  
"Well now that we've lost Irvine…" said Rinoa, "Hey, how about doing a comedy. That would probably go over really well, Zell." He considered it for a moment.  
  
"Maybe I'll do a romantic comedy, I don't know."  
  
"Well, whatever you do, I'm sure it'll turn out great." said Squall. Zell smiled.  
  
"Hey thanks, Squall. Well, I should probably start working on it now. I'll see you guys later." He got up and walked out of the cafeteria. 'Hmm…where do I want to start working on this?' he wondered. 'Not my dorm. Perhaps outside would be best.' He stopped by his dorm to get a notebook and a pen then headed towards the front gate. 'I think I'll stop by and check on Selphie before I head out.'  
  
He went into the infirmary, but Dr. Kadowaki wasn't there. Zell shrugged and walked into Selphie's room. She was sleeping. 'Aww…she's so cute when she's sleeping.' He smiled. He kissed her on the forehead and left.  
  
'Poor Selph. Hope she gets better soon. I still don't know why she's still with Irvine. He's so inconsiderate. He didn't even care where she was. He pisses me off sometimes.'  
  
Zell thought about the multiple times when Selphie came running to him in the middle of the night, crying. Always because Irvine had been with another woman. He would comfort her until she calmed down. She usually slept in his bed and he slept on the couch. On occasion she would go back to her room. He always felt so bad for her. He couldn't stand to see his friends hurting, especially the super-sweet, super-friendly, super-innocent Selphie.  
  
He walked outside into the cool air. 'Glad it's a nice day, perfect for writing,' he thought as he sat down on the grass. He stared out at the water for a minute, then he began jotting down ideas for the play.  
  
'Wow, this is harder than I thought.' he decided after an hour of work, and almost nothing done. 'I think I'll go see if Selphie's awake yet. Maybe she can help me.' He got up and went back inside Garden.  
  
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Irvine had decided to go talk to Selphie about the play, with hopes that his suggestion would be chosen as the Festival play.  
  
"Selphie. Hey, Selph, wake up." Irvine whispered as he shook her lightly. Her eyes finally opened. She blinked a few times until she realized where she was.  
  
"Hiya, Irvy! What're you doing here?" She smiled.  
  
"I can't come to see you? I just wanted to talk to you, baby." he said while playing with her hair. "So, what's the play gonna be about?"  
  
"Um…well Zell is working on it, so I don't know. Why? What did you have in mind?" He smirked.  
  
"Well, I was thinking it should be a cast of all women and me. I could save them all from various things and be the hero! What do you think?" he asked, grinning.  
  
"Are you really serious, Irvy? Why would you want to do a play like that? I'm your girlfriend. You told me you only wanted one woman…you really don't love me, do you? I bet you don't even like me." Her eyes started watering.  
  
"What do you mean? Of course I do."  
  
"If you did, why would you want to be in a play with all women?! Irvy…" She whimpered a little bit as a few tears rolled down her pale cheek. He wiped them off with his finger.  
  
"You know I love you, Selph. Oh, damn! I forgot! I was supposed to meet Squall fifteen minutes ago. Gotta go, sweetie! I'll come see you later. Cheer up, 'kay?" He kissed her nose and ran out of the infirmary and down the hall.  
  
Selphie lay in bed, with tears streaming down her face. She thought to herself, 'He really does love me. I know he does. At least I…think he does…' She continued crying.  
  
Meanwhile, Zell was walking down the hall towards the infirmary. Irvine ran past him without even saying 'hi.' Zell guessed he had been talking to Selphie. Most likely about his play idea.  
  
Dr. Kadowaki still wasn't in her office. 'Wonder where she could…wait…is someone…crying?' He heard crying coming from Selphie's room. He walked in and saw her crying. He sat down next to her bed.  
  
"What's wrong, Selph?" he asked, trying to comfort her.  
  
"Irvine…doesn't love…me!" she said between sobs.  
  
"Of course he does, Selphie." he said, as he wiped the tears off her face.  
  
"Then…why does…he…want to do…a play…with…him…and a bunch…of women??" she asked him with curious eyes. Zell didn't know what to say. 'I'll have a word with him…' he thought, clenching his fist. 'No one has the right to make Selphie cry.'  
  
"I don't know…but I'll talk to him about it. Just try and calm down. It's okay. I'm sure he still loves you." After talking to her for a few minutes, she started calming down.  
  
"Hey Selph," he asked after she was finally done crying, "where's Dr. Kadowaki? I wanted to ask her if you should be trying to walk yet." She thought about it for a minute.  
  
"I don't know, but you're right. I should try to get up. Will you help me, Zell?" He nodded. She sat up in bed and swung her feet around to the side. He sat down next to her and she put her arm around his shoulder. His arm went around her waist and they slowly stood up together.  
  
"Are you doing alright so far?" he asked. She just nodded. They tried walking around the room a little bit. Selphie was limping a lot.  
  
"It still hurts," she said, obviously still in pain, "can we try again tomorrow?"  
  
"Sure thing. Now let's get you back into bed." They went back over to the side of the bed and sat down. She hugged him.  
  
"Thank you, Zell…for helping me, again." She smiled. He smiled and helped her back into bed.  
  
"I was going to talk to you about ideas for the play, but I think I just got one. I'm gonna go work on it before I forget! I'll come check up on you later, so get some rest!" He tucked her in and kissed her forehead. On his way out, he decided to try to write in his dorm. So that's the direction in which he went.  
  
He opened the door and walked in. 'Geez, it's really dark in here.' He flipped on the light and closed the door behind him. He sat down at his desk and started working.  
  
Ideas ran all throughout his mind and body. This play was going to be a good one.  
  
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Whew! Chapter 2-done! YAY! Please review! I need to know what you think!! I might write Chapter 3 tomorrow…most likely! Yay! 


	3. Unveiled emotions

CHAPTER 3! Yay! Sorry I took so long, but I've been really busy. Hope you like it!  
  
PLEASE REVIEW!!!  
  
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Zell smiled as he looked over his first draft of Act I. "That only took three hours…hope it's alright." he sighed. He stood up and stretched. "Think I'll go for a walk…maybe I'll run into someone who wants to read it…" He left his dorm room and walked down the Garden hallway.  
  
Staring at the floor as he walked, he started thinking about the play. He heard a voice that shook him from his thoughts. He looked up to see Rinoa smiling and calling for him from down the hall. She ran over to him.  
  
"Why the long face, Zell? You alright?" He didn't really answer, but instead just made a slight moaning noise. "I can't help you if you don't talk to me. You look so sad. What's wrong?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.  
  
"I…don't know…" Zell responded. "I'm confused."  
  
"Let's take a walk, okay?" Rinoa more or less told him. They walked down the hall silently for a moment. She decided to break the silence. "SO, what's on your mind?"  
  
"…Selphie…" he whispered. She merely nodded.   
  
"Well, you have been spending a lot of time with her lately…" They sat down on a bench near the library.  
  
"Hey, Rinoa?" he said softly.  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Would you like to read what I have so far for the play?" he asked, holding out his notebook. She smiled, taking the notebook and opening it. She read it with a smile plastered on her face.  
  
She whispered in his ear, "You like her a lot, don't you?" He sighed heavily and nodded.  
  
"I…can't help it…I always have…" he sighed again.  
  
"Zell, you've gotta cheer up. You're supposed to be happy! And plus, I heard about what Irvine did, you've gotta keep Selphie happy, too. How 'bout this, I go talk to Selphie…and you talk to Irvine, to find out if he really does love her…okay?" Zell nodded and stood up. Rinoa stood up and handed him his notebook. He started walking away, but she stopped him. "Hey! What did I just get through telling you? Cheer up! Be happy!" she smiled. "See ya later!" She walked off in the direction of the infirmary.  
  
'I don't feel like talking to Irvine right now…maybe I should go beat up some Grats first…' he thought as he walked towards the Training Center.  
  
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Rinoa walked into the infirmary. Dr. Kadowaki was finally back in her office, and Rinoa asked where Selphie was. She pointed her to Selphie's room.  
  
"Selphie? Are you awake?" she asked, peering into her room.  
  
"Hiya, Rinoa! Did you come to visit me?" asked a very awake Selphie.  
  
"Of course I did," she said, pulling up a chair. "So how are you feeling today?"  
  
"I'm doing alright, how are you?"  
  
"I'm great, as usual. Hey, I heard about what Irvine did…are you okay?" Selphie flinched at the mention of his name… 'he still loves me…' she thought.  
  
"Y…yeah…I'm…okay…I guess…" she said frowning. Rinoa could tell she wasn't. "Zell's supposed to go talk to him for me…ya know, just to make sure that he still…loves me…"  
  
"I'm sure he does Selphie. But I still think you could do a lot better than him. Granted he's a total hottie, but he can be a real jerk. If I were you, I would forget about him and find another man."  
  
"Maybe you're right…" she said, sighing. "But what guy here isn't taken?"  
  
"Hmm…the only one I can think of off the top of my head is Zell." Rinoa said smiling. Selphie thought about it.  
  
"Ya know…Zell would probably make a good boyfriend…but isn't he with the library girl? But…I still love my Irvy…" said Selphie, pouting slightly. "I don't like being so confused!"  
  
"Well, I think you should talk to both Irvine and Zell about this…ya know, see what they think. It'd probably help you with your confusion."  
  
"Yeah, I'll do that. Have you seen Zell?"  
  
"Yep, I talked to him before I came to see you. Oh, and he had Act I of the play done…it's really good…I think you'll like it a lot." Selphie squealed.  
  
"I knew he was the right choice!!" she said, smiling all the while. Rinoa giggled.  
  
"I'm gonna go now, okay? You feel better, Selphie. I'll see ya later! Buh-bye!"  
  
"Bye bye, Rinoa. Thanks for keeping me company!"  
  
Rinoa walked out of the infirmary. 'Maybe Selphie and Zell will get together after all…' she giggled.  
  
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Zell was in the Training Center venting his confusion on Grats. He heard gunshots from the other side and went to see who it was. 'Damn…it's Irvine…maybe if I leave quietly, he won't see me…' he thought as he turned around and started walking away.  
  
"Hey! Zell!!" called Irvine.  
  
"Hey…Irvine." he said. 'Damn! I didn't wanna talk to him right now!'  
  
"Tryin' to run away from me, eh?" he said walking over to Zell.  
  
"Nah," he said scratching the back of his head, "didn't wanna disturb you. Looked like you were concentrating pretty hard."  
  
"So what're you doin' here?"  
  
"Just trying to get something off my mind. Oh yeah! I forgot!" he said completely changing the subject. "I wanted to ask you something."  
  
"Shoot." he said, smirking.  
  
"Do you really love Selphie?" Zell asked in all sincerity. Irvine sat down on a nearby rock and sighed.  
  
"Here's the thing…I love her…but I'm not IN love with her…she's like a sister to me." He sighed again. "I just can't bring myself to tell her…I know it'd break her heart."  
  
"But you've hurt her so many times before! Wouldn't it be better just to tell her and stop hurting her??"  
  
"I guess a part of me doesn't want to let her go…but the other part already has…which is why I flirt with other women. It's not that I'm trying to hurt her…it's just that…I can't help it."  
  
"I think you should go talk to her. I don't want you to hurt her anymore. Do you have any idea what it's like to have her come to your door in the middle of the night sobbing because her boyfriend did something stupid? Do you?!" Zell was getting mad now. 'I gotta calm down…but he pisses me off!' He sighed. "I'm sorry, I get carried away."  
  
"I understand…I think it would be best if we just broke it off now." he said, standing up. "I want you to come, too. Incase she starts crying. I'm not good at comforting her when I'm so confused inside."  
  
"Alright, I'll come with you. Let's go." They walked out of the Training Center. 'This is not gonna be fun.' thought Zell.  
  
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"Hi, Zell. Hi, Irvine. Coming to see Selphie? You know where she is." said the smiling Dr. Kadowaki. They both smiled as they walked into her room.  
  
"Hiya, Zell! Hi, Irvy!" said a very perky Selphie.  
  
"…Hi, Selphie." said a not-so-happy Irvine.  
  
"Hey, Selphie…we gotta talk."  
  
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Sorry it's so short…this is my shortest chapter…but I thought it was a good place to stop! PLEASE REVIEW!!!!! 


	4. Out of the blue

Woo. It's been waaaaay too long since I've updated this. No excuses, just sheer laziness! I think I'm more inspired to write now though. Maybe I'll actually finish this fanfic.   
  
Either way - PLEASE REVIEW!!! Reviews make me happy! And when I'm happy, I write. See? It's a circle! So review! Okay. Enough talking - on to the story!!  
  
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"What's wrong, Irvine? You look upset…" asked a very concerned Selphie. Irvine gulped, knowing how hard this would be.  
  
"Selphie," he began, "I need to tell you something…" He looked into her eyes and they told him to continue. "I want you to know that I am not in love with you…you're more like a sister to me than anything…which is why I'm breaking up with you…I can't keep on hurting you like this…I'm sorry…" he said as he looked down at the floor. Selphie was completely silent. She laid there just staring at nothing at all. A lone tear rolled down her cheek. Irvine brushed it off with his finger and said, "I'm really sorry…please…just try to understand…"  
  
Selphie just nodded. She couldn't look at Irvine. She just wanted to be alone. 'Even though he's hurt me so many times…' she thought, 'I still love him for all the times he's been there for me…'  
  
"We'll leave you alone, Selph," said Irvine as he dragged Zell out with him.  
  
Selphie let the tears come. Not caring anymore if anyone saw her so upset. 'I don't know what I'm going to do now…but maybe this will be for the better…' she thought. She laughed at that thought. 'Ha! How could losing Irvine be to my benefit? …but maybe Rinoa was right…I do need to find someone else…' She tried to calm down before drifting off to sleep.  
  
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Out in the hall, Irvine was dealing just about as well as Selphie was, minus the crying.  
  
"It's okay, Irvine. You can have any woman you want, AND still keep your brother-sister relationship with Selphie. It'll just take some mending, that's all." said Zell, trying to cheer up Irvine.  
  
"I suppose you're right…but…I am going to miss the closeness we had…but I'll try hard to fix it!" he said, stomping his foot on the floor for emphasis.  
  
"Good. That's the spirit. Hey, I think I'm gonna go to the cafeteria, you wanna come?"  
  
"Sure, got nothin' better to do." said the semi-depressed cowboy.  
  
"Well, let's hurry! What are you waiting for? There might be some hot dogs left!!" said Zell running towards the cafeteria. Irvine just decided to walk.  
  
Zell got in line as soon as he got through the door. 'Man! This line is long!' he thought. A few minutes later, Irvine walked in. He was staring at the floor. He looked up for a second, just to find Zell. He walked over and stood by him.  
  
"You okay, Irvine?" Zell asked him. Irvine looked up at him and shook his head.  
  
"I think I'm gonna go lie down…see ya later…" said Irvine as he turned and left.  
  
"This might take longer than I thought…" Zell mumbled to himself. He suddenly jumped and turned around. Rinoa was standing behind him smiling.  
  
"Hello, Jumpy," she said grinning, "talking to yourself? Maybe you need a vacation."  
  
"Very funny…" he said, rolling his eyes. "And I was just thinking out loud…that's all."  
  
"If that's what you wanna call it…" she smiled at him. "But now you've got me curious…what's gonna take longer than you thought?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.  
  
"Selphie and Irvine…they're both really upset…" he said.  
  
"Oh…I'm sure they can work things out…but yeah…that's gonna take quite a while to fix completely…" she said. Zell sighed. "Don't tell me you're upset, too…"  
  
"I just feel bad for Selphie, that's all…I mean it really came out of nowhere…"  
  
"Irvine didn't deserve her…he abused her so many times…I think she'd be much happier with someone else…" she said, elbowing Zell in the ribs. He looked at the floor.  
  
"I doubt she thinks of me in that way…" he said.  
  
"Never know…" Rinoa said, winking. "She needs someone to help her with this anyways…why not see if anything happens? And if it doesn't, you can still be friends…" Zell thought a moment, then nodded.  
  
"It's worth a shot, I guess."  
  
"That's the spirit!" Rinoa smiled.  
  
The line they were waiting in had shrunk considerably since Zell got there.  
  
"Gee…I wonder what Zell's gonna get to eat…probably a salad…" Rinoa joked.  
  
"Very funny…" Zell said as he stepped up to order. "Do you still have hot dogs left?" he asked the cafeteria lady.  
  
"Yep. We have…twelve left. Would you like some?"  
  
"Hmm…I'll take all of 'em." he said, smiling his trademark smile.  
  
"Now I know why we increased our hot dog inventory…" said the cafeteria lady smiling widely. "Enjoy, Zell." she said as she handed him his hot dogs.  
  
He sat down at a near-by table and began eating his hotdogs. A moment later Rinoa came over and sat down across from him.  
  
"Well, well, well…look who got a salad…" he smirked.  
  
"Well, well, well," she mocked, "look who got twelve hot dogs…"  
  
They ate in silence for a while until Rinoa noticed that Zell had stopped eating, and was just staring at his hot dogs.  
  
"Okay…now I KNOW something is wrong when Zell stops eating hot dogs. What's on your mind?"  
  
"I don't know…I think I should go check on Selphie…" he said. Rinoa gasped as Zell got up and walked away from his remaining eight hot dogs.  
  
"Wow…now there's something you don't see everyday…" she said to herself.  
  
---------------  
  
Zell sighed as he walked towards the infirmary. 'Why can't I get her out of my head?' he thought, sighing again. 'I guess things just developed so gradually that I didn't even notice…' he thought as he walked into the infirmary. Dr. Kadowaki wasn't at her desk, so he just walked into Selphie's room.  
  
Zell sat down on a stool next to her bed. 'She looks so peaceful when she's sleeping…' he thought. Before he knew it, Zell had fallen asleep, too.  
  
A few hours later Selphie awoke to find Zell asleep on the stool beside her. 'I wonder how long he's been here…' she thought. Selphie sat up in bed and just looked at Zell. She let out a small giggle. 'He's so cute when he's sleeping! I just want to wrap my arms around him and never let go…wait, where did that thought come from?' A now confused Selphie decided that she should try waking Zell up, which was easier said than done.  
  
She tried calling his name a few times, but to no avail. Then a simply brilliant idea popped into her head. She picked up a half-full glass of water off the night-stand next to her bed and threw the water square in Zell's face. He woke up confused and quite startled.  
  
"Huh?? Hey!! What was that for?" growled Zell. Apparently he wasn't a morning person. Selphie just giggled.  
  
"Awww…you're even cute when you're mad!" she said.  
  
"I…I am? Wait, that's not the point! Why'd you get me all wet? Look! You even messed up my hair!!" he said, growling again.  
  
"I'm sowwy," pouted Selphie, "it's just that I woke up, and I wanted someone to talk to. That's all."  
  
"Hey, no pouting allowed," he said, smiling. She smiled back. "So whatcha wanna talk about?" he inquired.  
  
"Well, nothing in particular really. I just need to talk about something to get Irvine off my mind. Umm…so how's the play coming?" she said, trying her best not to be sad again.  
  
"Pretty good. I'm not even close to being finished, but I think I know where I'm going with it." he said, smiling again.  
  
"Ooh! What's it about?" she said, getting excited.  
  
He shook his finger at her and whispered, "I can't tell you…it's a surprise!"  
  
"Awww…you're no fun!" she pouted.  
  
"Don't worry, you'll like it. Trust me!" he said. "Hey, I know what we can do. We need to work on your walking again."  
  
"Okay. My leg's much better than before." she said as she turned and put her legs over the side of the bed. Zell sat down next to her and put his arm around her waist. Selphie instinctively put her arm around his shoulder.  
  
"Ready? One…Two…Three!" Zell said as they stood up together. "Good. Make sure you stay balanced." They slowly walked around the room. "You're doing a lot better today. Don't strain yourself. I don't want you getting hurt."  
  
"Told you my leg felt better. I won't get hurt, I'm strong!" she said, smiling. They walked out to Dr. Kadowaki's desk. Selphie let out a small moan and stopped moving. "Okay. Ow. It hurts now." Zell carefully picked her up and carried her back into her room and laid her down on the bed.  
  
"You need to sleep so you can get your strength up," he said, "otherwise you'll never get better."  
  
"Are you leaving now?" she said, looking slightly hurt and disappointed.  
  
"Did you want me to stay?" he said. 'Why is my heart beating so fast?' he wondered.  
  
"Yea, I do. If you don't mind that is." she said as she looked almost as if she was begging him to stay. He pulled the blankets up over her.  
  
"You just want me to sit here while you sleep?" he asked, sort of confused by her request.  
  
"Um…actually, I want you to sleep with me. It's hard to get to sleep when I'm in pain. So maybe having you hold me would be enough comfort so that I can sleep well." she said, as her cheeks turned pink.  
  
"Well sure, I mean if it will make you feel better." said Zell as he climbed into bed next to her. Selphie positioned herself so her head was on his chest. He put his arms around her.  
  
"You alright?" she asked, looking up at him.  
  
"Yea…it's just that I've never done anything like this before." he sighed, looking down at the girl on his chest.  
  
"Don't worry about it. Just relax." she said. She sighed. 'I have to do it. Maybe he'll return it, maybe not. But I have to find out.' Unexpectedly Selphie sat up. She scooted up towards the head of the bed.  
  
"What's wrong? Are you alright?" asked a concerned Zell. She said nothing, but instead leaned down and kissed him. As their lips were pressed together, a million thoughts ran through both of their heads. Selphie broke the kiss after a few seconds, which felt like countless hours. Her face was bright red, as was his. Neither of them said anything, until Selphie broke the silence.  
  
"I'm…I'm sorry…We can just prete-" she was cut off as Zell sat up and kissed her. This time was more passionate than the last. She kissed him back. He broke the kiss and gazed into her eyes.  
  
"I don't want to pretend. If you do, I understand. Selphie, I like you. A lot. I suppose that I always have, but just never realized it before. If you don't like me back, I understand that, too." he said seriously.  
  
"Zell. I realize now that just because I was with Irvine all this time, didn't mean that I don't notice how much you care about me. I mean you've always looked out for me and you've always been there for me. I think part of me just took that for granted, and I'm sorry. But I've been thinking about whether or not I like you as more than a friend, and I do." she said, as she leaned over and gently kissed him.  
  
Nothing more was said between them. There was nothing more to say. Selphie went back to laying on Zell's chest. They drifted off to sleep in each others arms, with smiles on their faces. All seemed peaceful and understood, for now. All was quiet, except for the sound of footsteps from the infirmary quickly fading back into nothingness. Unknown to them, someone had just witnessed everything thing that went on.  
  
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Hehe. Yay! Chapter 4!   
  
Okay, so I really will try and update more often. I promise! But only if I get reviews!! I really appreciate all the reviews I've gotten! I like knowing people read my fanfic! 


	5. A wonderful dream

Hiya! Look! I'm updating, and even though it's been waaaaaaaay too long, at least I'm updating right? Right! Be proud and let the reading and reviewing commence!!  
  
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Zell woke up with rays of bright sunlight watching him through the blinds. He blinked a few times, looking around the room, before he remembered what had happened last night. Selphie was laying next to him, her arms draped lazily on his chest. He moved slightly, trying to get up and she turned over. Zell got out of the bed and put his shoes on. Kissing her on the forehead, he headed out of the infirmary towards his room.  
  
'Man, last night was too much to take in all at once. I'm still in shock.' he thought to himself as he walked down the hall.  
  
"Hey man, what's up with not answering your door last night? Where were you?" called Irvine.  
  
"Oh, me?" responded a startled Zell as he turned around to face him, "I was…um…just really tired. That's all."  
  
"Oh, I see. So where're you headed this afternoon?" he casually inquired.  
  
"Wait, afternoon?" Zell asked as he looked at his watch. "Crap. I didn't realize I slept so late."  
  
"So?"  
  
"So what? Oh, yeah, I'm going to my r-…I mean for a walk…and so I'm going back to my room now. Yeah."  
  
"Are…you alright? You seem kinda out of it."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. So where are you going?" asked Zell, who still hadn't completely let the events of last night sink in.  
  
"I'm gonna go see Selphie. I even bought her some yellow roses," said Irvine as he moved them closer to Zell.  
  
"Wow, I must be out of it. I didn't even see that you were holding those."  
  
"Well I guess I'll see you later. Bye," said Irvine as he casually sauntered to the infirmary.  
  
"See ya," Zell said as he continued to his room. 'Wonder how Selphie will react to seeing him…oh, god…I hope she doesn't tell him about what happened.'  
  
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Selphie woke up expecting to see Zell with her. Instead, she saw the last person she wanted to see- Irvine.  
  
"Hey, how're ya feelin'?" he asked as he handed her the yellow roses. She smelled them and then laid them on the table next to her bed.  
  
"I'm okay. Oh, thanks for the flowers, they're really pretty. What're you doing here? " she asked, rather confused.  
  
"I just came to see how you were doing. Is that so wrong?"  
  
"No…I guess it's just that I didn't really expect to see you. Oh, have you seen Zell?"  
  
"Yeah, he was out taking a walk. He was pretty out of it, too."  
  
"He's probably as confused as I am…" Selphie mumbled under her breath.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Oh, um…I said…he's probably as…hungry as I am."  
  
"Do you want me to get you something to eat?" he offered politely.  
  
"Well I really should try and get up and walk. I am feeling a lot better," she said as she sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Irvine sat next to her and helped her up.  
  
"Here," he said, "see if you can stand on your own." Irvine slowly let go of Selphie. She managed to maintain her balance and tried to walk around.  
  
"Hey, it doesn't hurt anymore!" she smiled.  
  
"Good. Well you'd better change your clothes if you're going to the cafeteria, unless pajamas are a new trend."  
  
She threw a pillow at him and walked over to where her other clothes were. He started to leave, then turned back and said, "Hey, just so you know Dr. Kadowaki is out here, incase you need help." He then continued to leave as he waved and said, "I'll see ya later, Selph."  
  
"Buh-bye," she called out to him as she went into the bathroom and got changed. She sighed heavily as she looked into the mirror. 'Did last night really happen? It felt like a wonderful dream…' she thought to herself as she fixed her hair. 'I suppose I'll find out when I see Zell…' She smiled at the thought of his name and giggled.  
  
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Zell had gone back to his room and changed his clothes and fixed his hair. He just couldn't get Selphie out of his head, or his heart for that matter. 'I really need to talk to her…' he thought as he walked out of his room. His stomach grumbled and so he headed towards the cafeteria first.  
  
Everyone was in the cafeteria. Rinoa and Squall, Quistis and Seifer, even Irvine and his fling of the day. Zell walked in and sat next to Rinoa.  
  
"Hey, Zell, decided to finally show up, huh? Where ya been, buddy?" Rinoa asked, while elbowing him in the side.  
  
"I was just really tired last night…and I didn't realize it was so late," he said looking down at the table.  
  
"Oh? I could've sworn I saw you coming from the infirmary…" said Seifer, as an evil grin appeared on his face.  
  
"Um…" said a slightly flustered Zell. 'Oh geez, Seifer knows…' Zell regained his composure and said, "Well , I was checking on Selphie."  
  
"I see. Did this 'checking on her' last all night? Hmm?" asked Seifer, grinning even more.  
  
"Um…well you see, I--" Zell stopped suddenly as he saw Selphie walking, as best she could, into the cafeteria. She looked up and saw him staring at her. They both turned bright red and looked away. By that time, everyone knew something was up.  
  
"So what were you saying, Chicken-Wuss?" asked Seifer, breaking the trance that had currently been over Zell.  
  
"I…um…wait. I was saying something? Hey! Don't call me Chicken-Wuss!!" he said as he stood up and headed over to Selphie. Everyone at the table just laughed.  
  
"So how long do you think it'll be before they hook up?" asked Quistis, chuckling lightly.  
  
"I give 'em a week, at most," said Rinoa, "I mean just look at them. You can so tell that they love each other…or will soon. It's so cute."  
  
"I wonder what they're talking about…" questioned Quistis.  
  
"Who knows…but they're leaving now, and they didn't even eat. That's strange, for Zell especially. I mean look, they have hot dogs!"  
  
"They're probably going out to eat or something. Ooh, what if it's a date?" giggled Quistis. Squall and Seifer looked at each other and shrugged.  
  
"What do you expect, they're girls," mumbled Seifer. Squall nodded in agreement.  
  
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" yelled Quistis, punching Seifer in the arm. Rinoa did the same to Squall.  
  
"You guys are mean!" the girls shouted playfully.  
  
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Zell and Selphie walked down the hallway together. Selphie started to slow down for a moment.  
  
"You alright?" asked a very concerned Zell.  
  
"Yeah, just a little tired."  
  
"Well I know how to fix that," he said, picking her up.  
  
"Hey!" she giggled. Zell carried her to the parking lot. "Where are we going?"  
  
"Why, I'm taking you out to dinner, silly," he smiled.  
  
"Okay!" she giggled.  
  
Zell set Selphie down and opened one of the car doors. He helped her get in and went around to the other side. Before they knew it, they were in Balamb.  
  
"Hey, I should probably go see Ma before we leave," said Zell, half to himself.  
  
"We can go now if you want," offered Selphie.  
  
"Sure, let's go," he said, heading towards his house. "Ma! I'm home!"  
  
"Hey sweetie. Oh, and Selphie is it?"  
  
"Hello. It's nice to see you again," said Selphie smiling.  
  
"Yes, it's been a while. So, what brings you two here? Oh! She's your girlfriend, isn't she?"  
  
Selphie and Zell both blushed profusely. "No, Ma, she's not my girlfriend…but we are kinda going on a date."  
  
"That's so cute. My little Zelly's growing up! Well I suppose I should let you two go now. Have fun on your date!"  
  
"Bye, Ma!"  
  
"Bye, Ms. Dincht."  
  
Zell and Selphie left to go on their date and Ms. Dincht thought to herself, 'They've always made such a cute couple…'  
  
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That's all for now…hopefully I'll be updating a lot more frequently though! Please review!! 


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